Aernnova, ITP Aero, and Mondragon, together with the groups of technology centers IK4 and Tecnalia, lead the constitution of the southwest European node of the manufacturing innovation network EIT Manufacturing. The network, financed by the European Commission with 80 million euros per year and in which 50 entities from 17 countries collaborate, has the mission of creating innovation ecosystems that add value to European manufacturing through more environmentally and socially sustainable products and processes. To this end, the consortium wants to support companies in the development of new products and in the application of technologies, especially digital ones linked to the new industry 4.0.

The south-west European innovation node will be based in Bilbao, and will also coordinate the programs and actions of the French and Portuguese partners. The Basque node will be connected to four other hubs located in Darmstadt, Gothenburg, Milan and Vienna. Of the 80 million euros of annual financing for the project, more than 15 correspond to the hub led from the Basque Country.

The axes that the Basque hub will have will consist of favoring the digitization of the industry and contributing to a more agile and flexible production, as well as being environmentally and socially sustainable. The Basque consortium, which will promote relations between companies, technology centers and universities, plans to support more than half of the industrial companies in the Autonomous Community of Euskadi. During its first seven years of activity, it will aim to accelerate the arrival of at least 100 new innovative products on the market and the creation of more than 200 new companies.